Caroline Lody

Year of call: 2009

“Offers analytical, realistic and straightforward advice. Thorough as well as thoughtful.”

Overview

Caroline joined chambers in 2011 after successfully completing pupillage. She has since established her practice across all areas of chambers’ legal expertise, rapidly developing a specialism in civil and commercial work.

Despite her junior call, she is often instructed on cases involving complex issues of law, drawing on her wide-ranging experience as a research assistant in the commercial and common law team at the Law Commission.

Caroline acts for both Claimants and Defendants in personal injury/clinical negligence cases, employment disputes, contractual claims and criminal cases. She has a particular expertise in product liability.

Caroline received her honours degree in law at Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 2007 after which she was awarded a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship which enabled her to pursue an LLM at the University of Hong Kong. This focused predominantly on international finance and business law.

Caroline was awarded a Queen Mother Scholarship by Middle Temple in 2008. In 2014 she was awarded a Pegasus Scholarship and spent six weeks working in Washington DC, encountering various aspects of the US legal system.

Caroline gained a deep understanding in this area whilst a pupil under Hugh Preston QC. During this time she assisted in on ongoing multi-party action in relation to ruptured breast implants (PIP). She is currently instructed in PIP cases in her own right. She is also part of a team involved in multi-jurisdictional litigation concerning DePuy hip implants. Caroline is particularly interested in cases involving defective medical products and pharmaceutical drugs.

A growing area of Caroline’s practice relates to inquests and she has also contributed significantly to the chapter on inquests in Butterworths’ “Personal Injury Litigation Service”.

Commercial

Caroline acts in general contractual and commercial disputes including the sale and supply of goods. She advises on insolvency matters and has appeared in the Companies Court. She is often instructed in claims involving complex issues of law.

Before joining chambers, Caroline worked as a research assistant in the commercial and common law team at the Law Commission. She worked almost exclusively on the team’s wide-ranging review of insurance contract law and contributed to several consultation papers. She has particular experience in non-disclosure, misrepresentation and fraudulent claims.

Crime

Caroline regularly appears in the crown court, both prosecuting and defending. She has appeared in trials and appeals against conviction and sentence, as well as preliminary hearings, plea and case management hearings and sentencing hearings. She has experience in dealing with a range of offences, from violent crime to drugs, fraud and motoring offences.

She assisted Tim Barnes QC in a case involving a large carousel fraud and is currently being led by Richard Latham QC in a murder trial. She has also been working alongside Collingwood Thompson QC and David O’Mahony on a large international criminal case.

Caroline has particular experience in driving offences and has successfully argued “special reasons” on appeal in a driving without insurance case, as well as securing an acquittal against the odds in a “drunk in charge of a vehicle” case.

Employment

Caroline has a substantial employment practice and regularly acts for a wide variety of clients including individuals, blue chip companies and small businesses, local authorities and charities. She has appeared in a number of multi-day hearings as well as interlocutory hearings and has been instructed in a number of cases involving complex facts and issues of law.

She regularly advises and represents parties in unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, discrimination and whistleblowing claims. She recently represented a client in a six-day pregnancy discrimination and constructive dismissal claim against a large insurance company which resulted in significant compensation. She has also successfully represented a secretary in a claim against an orthopaedic surgeon whom the tribunal found to have forged an employment contract. Latterly, she has successfully represented a large pharmaceuticals company in a sex, race and victimisation claim.

Caroline’s employment practice is enhanced by her experience in cross-examining difficult witnesses in criminal cases.

Memberships

ELA

Personal Injury

Caroline has a busy personal injury practice and represents Claimants and Defendants in a broad range of matters, including workplace accidents, RTAs, highways claims and product liability disputes. She acts mainly for defendants in cases involving historical sexual abuse and “failure to remove” cases. Caroline has particular experience in cases involving the law relating to bailiffs and parking.

Caroline appears in court most days and has substantial trial experience as well as appearing regularly in interim applications on the fast track and multi track. Notably, Caroline has experience in representing parties at costs budgeting hearings. She has a heavy paperwork practice, providing written advice and settling pleadings. Caroline regularly accepts instructions on a CFA basis.

Recent cases include successfully defending an appeal to the High Court following a win at trial (Iqbal v Henderson, QB); advising a claimant whose industrial accident involved the amputation of a limb; settling a claim arising from negligently performed ear-piercing surgery and hairdressing claims.

Memberships

APIL

Product Liability

Caroline has a keen interest in product liability litigation and gained substantial experience in this area during her pupillage with Hugh Preston QC.

During her pupillage, Caroline acquired a detailed understanding of the complex issues relevant to the ongoing litigation concerning defective breast implants (PIP) and is currently representing claimants in this case. She is also involved in multi-jurisdictional litigation related to DePuy hip implants.

She is instructed on a large number of cases concerning defective consumer products (many of which involve an international element) including shower units, gardening tools, hair-dye, children’s toys, chairs, beds and bicycles.